Diverting and distributing mechanism for carrier systems



' W J. HEFPERLEA I v l DIVERTING AND DISTRIBUTING MEQI'KIANISM'FR CARRIER SYSTEMS Filed Machffg 19215 s sheets-sheen '2? 252 4i; a+-o .f7 v.522) ,ff J

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@QW V Feb. l 19 LGI-6318?* 27 w J. HEPPERLE v 4' DIVERTING DISTRIBUTING MECHNISM FOR CARRIER` SYSTEMS F'iled March l 24, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I7 @veat 0 W-eZZmZ/W/ JffppeTZe Patented Feb. l, 1927.y

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WILLIAM.; .n nrrnntn, or, sYneCUSfn., NEW ,renin Assrcfivoaro tension ooi/i-y 4PANEL ,onsvnncusnnvnw .YORKHA .Genitori-entourer ivressnortiis-nrrs.y l

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`"Applieationiflled March 24,-1926.' JSeria1'No.96,985.

This invention relates z to Acarrier systems' and the like, and more `especially. to systems for 1 selectively l and :automatically diverting f and= removed Strom the stations. Auseparate and independent 4systemmay be: employed for@ returning' the carriers` toll their respective pointsv offforigin.

One purpose, 'or'vvhichfthe invention `is especially appropriate, consists' in the" deliv-r ery of' cash carriers 'fromE the salespeople in the various departments ota -reta-il'store to the cashiers, fion-making change, vrecording sales and the'like,ithe carrier being thenreturned to thesalesmanfrom v vhomfit was received. such systems, Where .a .numberA ot' cashiersare i required, it becomes -essential 'that the 4carri-ers be lapportioned among them `asrrapidly'` as lpossible,:that' is, Without Toversupplyiingfsomeiwvith more xcarriers than they can attendl to and aflsoXwv-ithout leaving'any-onerfcasliier vvithout carriers asilong asfthere are anyi-nconring-carriers to bey distributed. 4

IA typicall embodiment of thel invention,ra s arranged and i adapted1 to serve this purpose, is shown by: the :accompanying: drawings, r in Which2- Fig. lis l'a diagrammatic plan o'ftthe; receiving' and distributing system. as a/Wh-ole;

fFigQQ is a detailjplan :view .of -thenrnain conveyor belt: and Ya pairl of: distributors associatetb therewith; I v

Fig. 3 is a View similartoFig. Qffshowin carriers in position "toreoperatin'g the fdistri-butors Fig.- 4 is a` side elevation vof. a, distributor and terminal 'station when empty Fign is, ajsideVV elevation 'similar to Fig. l showing two carriers therein;

Fig. Gis a. detailed "cross-section.' of t, the upper portion or :receiving-end of" the terminalVA station f andf conveyor Fig. f7 "is vai plan view: oft thedivertingfelement Aof the distributor; y

lFig. 18 is aside vieivot; the; diverting element of the distributor; ,and

Fig. '9; is Aan end View :of the diverting elementof: thedistriibutor.

.Referring V'to F ig. 1, there ais {diagramlniaticall-y illustrated afgeneral carrier and distributing system ot which the present' invention r. forms .i a vprincipal part. .The A. horizontalconveyor 1,travejllingi inthe direction of the; arrow, isyafdapted to f receive; carriers froma two rows ot tubes -2 and v3 which yare convenientlyq` positioned .rabo-ve g the conveyor toidisclnarge carriers hbeleon.A y'lhe vcarriers thus @deposited K:upon )the belt 1 are -*separated by a longitudinal partitionll. ABeyond thegopenings ot-thejdischarge tubesf2, .3, land located alongside the conveyors, are'provideddistributor 1devices f'5,f,6, 7,8,;9, 10, lllconnected ,-Withashiers desks, 13,714, `15, 16, 17,? 18, .f1=9.r; respectively-through corresponding conduitsyes:indieated by arrows. IAsecond row.. .of distributor-s: similar to the'. dirst may beprovided; along. the rear side. .of-y the ,Iconveyor, to handleccarriersfromthe delivery tubes 2:3, .with llike conduits leading ,there from` to terminals. at the --several cashiers desksycorresponding theretoyasvvill. be'clear from the pdrawing. Each cashiers desk be@ ,provided .ivith .aY tube v, (ias, indicated by. arro-.ws) f leading tO-,the despatchers.` desks lfrornfivhich the carrier-maybe returned tothe; person: originally. send-ing it,.torwl1ich well-known means` tare of general lknowledge and fconinionly. fused. i

:On either `side ot partition 4f, `andsabove the conveyori-belt'l a distributor-.device.is providedv 2)y such ,as distributor fot Fig. l, comprising generally n 'a horizontal divertingarmiQQ, pivotedl over the conveyor bel-banid adapted. to catch a carrier1 25;-movingthereon :and to swingintoa receiving chamber 23 Which inaturnfopens. into-ayerticalror` other suitably disposed conduit 24 (Figs 4f and: =5)- terminating at; a station 26, from Whichthe oarriersp25,'25= may .be-re; moved. y

The arm 22e is pivoted so that'iit--swinfgsat a 1 suiicient height `above f the fconve-yor belt to permit carriers 25 .fto pass `.thereunder when. -in open position; as shown in thelovver part io'f'Fig.; 3. yA iiiixedxto' the yenters-end ,of arm '22! @is a; depending -deiiector plate. y27- .disposedat such Y an angle theretosasi to :stand transversely 'across'l the kp zuhcot carriers on the conveyorb'elt WhenU-.in closed .position (Fig. 2) and to stand parallel with bel yond such path when the arm is swung into open position shownin Fig. 3. The rearward end or delector plate 27 is bent outj back into closed position with the delector i wardly at 28 and again at 29, substantially into parallelism with plate 6 and forming a recess or pocketBl therewith. shelf-like projection 32 extends from the' lower edge of the detlector plate forming a. bottom to the pocket 31 at level slightly below that of the conveyor belt. (Figs. 6 9).

The receiving chamber 23y opens out .of vthe path oi the conveyor belt at a point opposite the larm 22 and is' of sufficient size to receiveA the detlector plate, with `a carrier 25` in the pocket 31 thereof. Chamber 23 isjpreferably provided with a sloping bottom 33 terminatingl in an opening 34. leading to the yvertical conduit 24, which is of such dia-meter as to receive the carrier25 longitudinally therein and hasV a terminal opening at a suHicient distance `above a'stop member 36 to retain theupper end of the carrier and prevent it from falling'out of the tube, and at the same return the same to closed position across the f time to permit of withdrawing it laterally therefrom. t

Adjacent the lower or terminal end or the 'tube' 24 the lever arm 30 of aswitch 37,

whichis let in through opening 39 inthe side wall of the tube and has contact points 4l adaptedvto make connection between points 42 in an electric circuit 43 leading through a solenoid 44 positioned in therear end of the receiving chamber 23. A button 45 of magnetic material suchas iron is iixedvto member 28 ot the 'deflector element, adapted' to engage and be retainedby the magnetic attraction of the'solenoid, when the detlector is in retracted position andwhen the solenoid is activated by the passage or' an electric current therethrough. A spring 46 is also provided vupon the deflector arm tending to conveyor when released by the cutting oif of the current through the solenoid.

y In operation a carrier 25 conveyed in the direction of the arrow upon the belt 1` (Figs. l and 2) will strike the deflector plate of the distributor device, and be diverted thereby, under the electl of its own momentum, into a position obliquex'to the path of the conveyor, the forward 'end'sliding Jforwardly land entering the pocket 3l formed in the end of the plate. The momentum of itsinipact and continued urge by the .ribs l', `l upon the conveyorbelt against the rear end of the carriers, swings the delecto-r andcarrier first into'the position' shown in the upper part of Fig. 3. Thereupon the carrier is swung into the receiving chamber 23. The forward endv yof the carrier is supportedby the shelf-like member 32 of the c leilector, but the rear end of the'carrier having now left the support of ,the 'conveyor belt drops downwardly (as in-` dicated` in the lower portion of Fig. 3) and,

directed by they sloping' bottom 33, falls through the vertical tube 24 to the position 25, shown in Fig. 5.

The arm 22, actuated by the spring, swings again standing obliquely across the belt. A second carrier 25 on the conveyor belt may be similarly caught, 'diverted and dropped to the terminal station in substantially the same manner as the rst. However, the second carrier will rest upon kthe iirst (if the rst has not been previously removed) as in Fig. 5. In such position thecarrier 25, kwill engage and turn the lever arm of the switch 37, thereby closing the circuit 43 through contact points 41 and 42and actuating the solenoid 44.

As a 'third carrier 25 on the conveyor belt now strikes the deflector (which has meanwhile again returned to closed position, under the action of springA 46, when the carrier leaves the receiving chamber 23) the magnetic plug 45 thereon, vupon ap-k proaching orstriking the solenoid 44, is retained within the receiving chamber, or'open position, even after the carrier has dropped into the vertical tube of the terminal station.

Subsequent carriers upon the belt l are now permitted to continue past the deflector, passing beneath the arm 22, until they come to the next deflector plate which is iny closed position, which may be e. g., any oneof the series 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, l1 successively. The series obviously may be so extended as to provide for allot the carriers' likely to be deposited upon. the conveyor belt, but in cases of emergency or temporary overflow, the conveyorl may deliver any excess carriers to aterminal station 47, without control of vthe number so delivered.

When .carrier 425 is withdrawn from the terminal of tube 8, the next carrier 25 will fall down and take its place. Inthe oase of the station containing three carriers, the third 25 lwill fall to take the place of the second and still retain the switch 37 in closed position. Upon reducing the number of carriers to one, however, the switch opens as'shown in 4 thus breaking the electric circuit through the solenoid and releasing the deflector arm to return again to closed position, ready for the reception of the next carrier upon the conveyor belt.

In this manner each station is continuously provided with one or more carriers, so long as there is a supply of carrierson the conveyor, but not, at any one time, with more than three. It it be desired to permit four or more carriers to be delivered rto a station, before leaving its detlector in open position and allowing carriers to go on to the next station, this may be effected by suitably adjusting the position at which the lever arm 30 of the regulating switch vstands in the tube 24. Alternatively, this arm may be lowered topermitbut one or two carriers to enter the terminal station at'on'e time.

I claim:

l. A carrier system comprising a conveyor, a plurality' of terminal stations alongl the path of'sa'id'conveyor, distributors corresponding to said terminal stations and having delector'elements adapted normally to engage and divertcarriers from said conveyor intol said terminal stations, andmeans constructed and arranged to render any given deliector element inoperative so long as a predeterminednumber of'carriers are contained in the corresponding station.

2. A carrier system comprising a conveyor, terminal stations along the path of travel of said conveyor, a receiving chamber opening from the path of said conveyor and leading to each of said terminal stations, a distributor having a deflector arm adapted normally to stand in lsaid path and to swing under impact of a carrier on said conveyor into said receiving chamber, and means in the terminal station operative to retain said deflect-or arm in the receiver chamber when a predetermined number of carriers stand in the corresponding station.

3. A carrier system comprising a horizontal conveyor, a carrier-receiving chamber opening into the path of travel of said'conveyor and leading to a corresponding terminal station, and a pivoted deflector opposite said chamber, normally standing obliquely to said path, and adapted to receive a carrier and swing horizontally in the direction of travel of said conveyor into the receiving chamber.

el. A carrier system comprising a horizontal conveyor, a plurality of carrier-receiving chambers opening into the path of travel of said conveyor and leading severally to corresponding terminal stations, and a pivoted deflector opposite each such chamber, normally'standing in said path and adapted to engage va carrier and, swing horizontally therewith, in the direction of travel of said conveyor, into the receiving chamber.

5. A carrier system comprising a horizontal conveyor, a carrier-receiving chamber opening into the path of travel of said conveyor, a pivoted deflector, normally standing in and obliquely to said path, a pocket in the detlector adapted to receive a carrier and swing in the direction of travel of said conveyor into the receiving chamber, and a sloping bottom and outlet conduit in said chamber leading to a terminal station.

6. A carrier system comprising a horizontal conveyor, a plurality of carrier-receiving chambers opening into the path of travel of said conveyor, a pivoted deliector standing opposite each chamber and obliquely across said path, having a pocket therein adapted to receive a carrier and to swing in the direction of travel of said conveyor into the receiving chamber, said chamber having., a

sloping bottom and outlet conduit leading to a corresponding terminal station.

7.' A carrier system comprising a horizontal-conveyor, a Acarrier receiving chamber opening into the' path of travel ofsaid conveyor, a pivoted arm, a'dellector plate onthe arm normally standing in and obliquely` Vto said path, a.' pocket in the dei-lector plate having a' bottom at a: slightly lower level than that of the horizontal conveyor, partial'lyf to receive and support ay carrier f therein, saidvdetlectorfbeing adapted to swing -in the direction of travel of the conveyor into the receiving chamber, and a sloping bottom and outlet conduit from said chamber leading to a' terminal station.

8. A carrier system comprising a horizontal conveyor, a plurality of carrier-receiving chambers, each chamber opening into the path of travel or' said conveyor, a pivoted detlector plate normally standing in and obliquelyv to said path, adapted to receive a carrier and to swing, in the direction of travel 03": said conveyor, into the receiving chamber, a sloping bottom and outlet conduit to said chamber leading to a terminal station, an Ielectric switch in the terminal station, means to Aform a closed electric circuit by engagement with carriers standing therein, and a `solenoid in the receiving chamber positioned to register'with the delector plate te retain the same in inoperative position when actuated by the passage ot' an electric current therethrough.

9. A carrier distributing system comprising a conveyor belt for bearing carriers along a substantially horizontal path, an

arm pivoted to swing horizontally above the carriers moving along the path, a delector plate depending romthe end ot said arm and swinging therewith into the path of said carriers at an oblique angle, and a pocket on the rearward 'end yorl said plate, the lower portion of said pocket standing below and beyond the level of said conveyor belt and adapted to receive the end of a carrier therein.

10. A carrier system comprising a main conveyor or the like for the conveyance of carriers, a terminal station alongside said conveyor, a pivoted deliector adapted to swing above carriers on the conveyor, and a plate on the deflector adapted to engage carriers passing along the path of the conveyor and to swing with the same outot said path and above said terminal' station.

1l. A carrier system comprising a main conveyor for carriers, a terminal station at one side thereof, a pivoted arm normally disposed above said conveyor and adapted to swing over said terminal station under impact ot' a carrier thereagainst.

l2. A carrier system comprising a mainconveyor for conducting carriers along a horizontal path,`a terminal station having a receiver for said carriers, alongside the conveyor, a pivoted horizontal catching arm normally standing insaid path, and a shelf .thereon shaped to catch an oncoming carrier, said arm being free to swingv into said receiver `under impact of a carrier thereagainst. e

13. A system comprising a horizontal conveyor for carrierej or the like comprising a terminal station having a receiving chamber alongsidethe path of said carrier, an arm pivoted to swing horizontally above the arm to stand obliquely with the .pathy of y movement when over the conveyor and parallel to the path of movement when positioned in the receiver chamber7 and adapted to engage and partly support a carrier.

Signed by me at Syracuse, N.V Y. this 8th day of March, 1926.

WILLIAM J. HEPPERLE. 

